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Chrysler 700C concept minivan quietly rolls into Detroit

The crowd here at the Detroit Auto Show may be oohing and aahing over the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart, but something else caught our eye at the Chrysler display here inside Cobo Hall. The swoopy minivan you see above is the Chrysler 700C Concept, a vehicle that we hadn't heard a peep about until we spent a few minutes talking with Rick Deneau from Chrysler Brand Communications.

Deneau tells us that, in essence, the 700C is simply a design study of what the future of the Chrysler minivan could look like, and that its presence here in Detroit is simply to gauge interest from not only the media, but consumers and the general public. It's a three-row vehicle, styled here at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and truth be told, that's really all there is to say.

It's a futuristic look for a minivan, and significantly more swoopy than the decidedly boxy Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan twins that currently roam the streets. The backwards-sloping sheetmetal that disguises the B-pillar is interesting, as are the rear taillamps that extend upward onto the rear wheel well arches. Even so, many of the Autoblog staffers have mentioned that, while forward-thinking, this concept looks like it could have been designed ages ago. We can even see a bit of last-generation Nissan Quest in the rear three-quarter and side profile, too.

Check out the 700C Concept for yourself in our attached high-res image gallery, and give us your take on this minivan design study in Comments.

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Yeah it does have a certain early '90s bubble-y vibe. It would fit right in placed next to 20-year-old Chrysler concepts like the Thunderbolt or Cirrus or '91 300.
Which isn't to say I like this.....there's a couple decent ideas, but overall it leaves me feeling kind of cold.

I can see hints of Lancia styling creeping in with the black bonnet and the rear lights coming over the rear arches and rear hatch being slightly Delta-esque with the badge on the black section. Rear lights also look like a development of 200C however they remind me slightly of Infiniti FX rear lights and the front bumper reminds me of the current Ford Taurus pre facelift

I like the front and the back, but the side is too PT for me. I want to purchase a mini van and I like where Chrysler is going but not quite there yet. The Honda styling is better for now because chysler need to make the mini van more cool. Please dual exhaust makes any vehicle look more expensive and cool. Be the first to install dual and you will get the guys to buy one and feel cool driving it. I believe Chrysler will be the new GM of America. Please kick Honda and Toyota in the butt with this new mini van. Remember, you made the mini van.....

The folks at FIat have said that the next-gen minivans from Chrysler and Dodge would be totally different and completely different from each other. This also looks more Euro-centric, so it might sell well there too. And I don't see a lot that would keep this from being the actual production version, other than the door handles.
BTW, the blonde is HOT!